The Story⚡
Nigerian filmmaker Famous Isaacs is preparing to create the longest documentary film ever made: a 102-hour portrait of 51 ethnic groups across Nigeria’s six geopolitical zones, titled Nigerian Peoples and Cultures: 102 Hours of Identity.
Tell Me More
Nigeria is home to over 300 ethnic groups, each with distinct languages, traditions, arts, cuisines, and festivals. Much of this diversity remains little known outside local communities and is rarely documented in a comprehensive, accessible way. Famous Isaacs, already known for organising the African Bridal Fashion Festival in Abuja, where cultural bridal attire opens conversations about ethnic stories, now plans a far larger project.
In 2026, his team will travel across the country to film 51 ethnic groups, devoting two hours to each. The resulting 102-hour documentary will more than double the current Guinness World Record of 48 hours and 10 minutes, held since 2019 by Indian filmmaker Blessy Ipe Thomas.
Each two-hour segment will explore shared themes:
Historical origins and migration stories
Cultural festivals, fashion, and textiles
Traditional cuisine and preparation methods
Music, dance, and instruments
Religion and spiritual practices
Marriage and social ceremonies
Occupations, crafts, and livelihoods
Natural landscapes, monuments, and tourist sites
Stories will be told by community members and cultural leaders in their indigenous languages, with English subtitles, while wearing traditional attire. Live performances and demonstrations will bring the traditions to life.
The project aligns with the goals of Nigeria’s National Orientation Agency, Federal Ministry of Arts, Culture, Tourism, and the Creative Economy, and the National Council for Arts and Culture, which seek to promote, preserve, and harness the nation’s cultural resources. Beyond the record attempt, the film aims to create a lasting visual archive, encourage tourism by showcasing scenic and historical sites, strengthen national pride, and present Nigeria’s unity in diversity to global audiences through planned festival screenings across Africa, Europe, and the Americas.
In Summary
When completed, 102 Hours of Identity will not only hold a Guinness World Record but will stand as a detailed, community-voiced archive of Nigerian cultures—one that future generations can return to long after the cameras stop rolling.
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